Derby delights for Roeder

GLEN ROEDER challenged Norwich to improve their consistency after the East Anglian derby win over Ipswich at Carrow Road yesterday.

Second-half goals from Lee Croft and Matty Pattison gave the under-achieving Canaries a 2-0 win which lifts them away from the Championship relegation zone.

“When I was Newcastle manager we won 4-1 against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light and this is equal to me,” Roeder said.

“Our lads were hugely motivated. I walked in the dressing room an hour and a half before kick-off and I didn’t need to fire them up at all.”

Wolves manager Mick McCarthy admitted his Championship leaders are there to be shot at after they crashed to a 1-0 defeat at QPR on Saturday.

Martin Rowlands’ goal inflicted a first reverse in nine games on Wolves, cutting their lead at the top to three points. “I don’t go in for all that cliché stuff, a team draws a game and loses a game, it happens all the time,” McCarthy said.

“We are the top team in this division – I’m not saying we’re the best, but we are top – and that inspires other teams to play against you and we have got to live with it.”

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish hailed his players for a 3-2 win against Watford which kept them hot on Wolves’ heels.

Tamas Priskin opened the scoring for Watford and Ross Jenkins netted at the end — but in between Kevin Phillips, Marcus Bent and Cameron Jerome scored for the Blues.

Reading manager Steve Coppell was relieved to see his third-placed side win 1-0 at Barnsley after having Jimmy Kebe sent off in the first half at Oakwell. Brynjar Gunnarsson grabbed the winner in the 64th minute.

Burnley ended a good week on a high with a 3-2 victory over fellow promotion chasers Sheffield United.

Cardiff moved up to fifth thanks to a 2-0 victory over Preston, while Patrick McCarthy and Shefki Kuqi netted to give Crystal Palace a 2-1 win at Derby. Charlton fell to the foot of the table after Liam Dickinson’s double gave Blackpool a 2-0 win at Bloomfield Road.

The Addicks dropped below Nottingham Forest, who twice came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw at Coventry. Doncaster recorded their third home win of the season — a 1-0 triumph over Plymouth — while Sheffield Wednesday’s Marcus Tudgay denied Southampton a priceless victory. Bristol City and Swansea drew 0-0.